Could this work on a traffic camera?: Off-topic discussion forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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April 7, 2009 9:31 p.m. EastCoastMojo Dork

Wiki How article on blinding video cameras with infrared

This article demonstrates a simple IR LED setup you can use to keep your face from being recorded on video cameras and would be most effective at night or indoors, although it is kinda hokey.

But, it got me to thinking, could it work if installed around your license plate for obscuring your number from traffic cameras? Probably still mostly effective at night, but an interesting thought. I don't intend to run out and run a bunch of red lights to test it, but inquiring minds want to know.
April 8, 2009 4:59 a.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

IR led's may work at night, on a camera using infra red night-shot mode. For any other mode, you'll need a bright light source aiming at the camera to defeat it. Roughly akin to you shining a light in the face of a person to blind them. Standard traffic cameras tend to use a powerful strobe light that will thoroughly overwhelm a few LED's.

Something I've been pondering has been the security film being placed over ATM screens and such. It's only a couple of dollars for a square foot or two. I've also seen it on computer screens. It's just a plastic film with a fresnel lens built into it. It blurs the image when you get a few degrees off center. It's subtle enough that a cop sitting in a cruiser right behind you may not notice that you've got an illegal cover on your plate. Might have to curve it a bit to make it work against cameras, as many of them take the picture from a pretty straight angle.
April 8, 2009 6:34 a.m. John Brown SuperDork

There are "tinted" plastic plate covers that use that film and it works well.

I have one.
April 8, 2009 7:31 a.m. Stuc HalfDork

Interesting stuff. Unfortunately, I had a clear, non-tinted, non-filmed plastic plate cover and got pulled over for it. (Florida)
April 8, 2009 4:23 p.m. SupraWes Dork

Yup you will get pulled for a cover in FL, dunno about other places.
April 8, 2009 6:25 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork

I have smoked covers on the plates on my cars.. only because they look better.

They have also gotten me out of a couple of tickets. Rather than getting one for speeding (40 in a 25, but slowing) I got one for the cover on the back
April 8, 2009 6:38 p.m. Strizzo Dork

a celebrity guest on top gear once said that he used cling wrap around his plate to block the speed cameras. apparently it turns the plate into glare when the flash goes off.
April 8, 2009 8:02 p.m. alex Reader

I though you were talking about something like this:

Seems like that should work on traffic cameras.
April 8, 2009 9:36 p.m. EastCoastMojo Dork

nice goggles
April 9, 2009 5:07 p.m. SupraWes Dork

Strizzo wrote:

a celebrity guest on top gear once said that he used cling wrap around his plate to block the speed cameras. apparently it turns the plate into glare when the flash goes off.

Mythbusters busted that one and many others. The cameras have a polarizing filter that kills the glare. Basically the only way that worked was going by at about 170.
April 9, 2009 5:33 p.m. alex Reader

^^^ Noted.